Samar Island | DIY Travel Guide

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Samar Island, known as the land of waterfalls and caves. Samar is the most under-rated island of the Philippines. Spent 5 days on this island and I barely scratched the surface of what this beautiful island has to offer.

It all started in NAIA, we are all excited about the adventure but it went down-south fast early on our trip. Our flight was delayed for more than 5 hours. To make the long story short, the plane landed in Tacloban around 2PM.

Still optimistic, we rushed to the rent-a-car shop outside the airport and started our road trip. Drove for 2 hours to Basey to see Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge. Unfortunately, the park was already closed when we arrived. We have no choice but to go back to Tacloban and do a stop-over at San Juanico Bridge. The bridge that connects Leyte and Samar.

After that, we tried Ocho Seafood and Grill, a local restaurant for dinner. Then looked for somewhere to spend the night.

Tired and frustrated, we went for a few drinks.

This resulted to a hangover and a late start of day 2. We were forced to cancel 2 more destinations on our list – Calbiga Cave and Lulugayan Falls. This was disheartening because instead of ticking places, we were scratching it out one by one.

While recovering from hangover, we went straight to Ulot River to catch up for some lost time. To our dismay, another setback. All boats were already on tour. Ulot River is far from other tourist destinations and it was already late afternoon. We decided to stay and wait, hoping we can still do this activity.

After a day and a half of setbacks, finally! Our first activity - TORPEDO Boat Extreme Adventure. The boat was long and narrow - 1-seater wide. It looks very light and was run by 3 people. First, the Captain. He hold the steering pole. In front of him was a young man. His role was very important. He continuously scoops the water out of the boat. The 3rd person was the navigator. He was seated at the tip of the boat. Armed with a small broken paddle, he made sure that we don’t hit rocks on the river trail.

Some parts of the ride was calming and then there’s the “shooting the rapids” part. At the end of the river trail was a mini falls were one can do a cliff jump.

Mini Falls at the end of TORPEDO River Adventure

That was only the first leg of the tour. The best part was going upstream. With full horsepower, the torpedo will blast through the river current and rapids.

At this moment, with experience, timing and precision, the torpedo squeezes through a narrow rock passage and created a beautiful curtain of water. IT WAS AWESOME!

From Ulot River, we drove for another 2 hours to Calbayog. Looked for somewhere to spend the night.

For day 3, we started driving north to Tarangban Falls as early as 4AM. With a gloomy weather, we trekked through muddy trails and skipped on slippery boulders. Surrounded by dark greens from forest leaves to mossy ground, the majestic falls showed itself. Water so white, sliding down the cascading rocks. Mist-filled air arising from the bottom. And a constant rumbling sound. This is the untouched beauty of Samar.

Continued our road trip to Lavazares Port, situated in the northern part of Samar. Then, we rented a boat to Biri Island. In Biri Island, we hired a habal-habal to get around the island.

While the sun hid behind the clouds, distant sound of the sea smashing the land, the wind howl as it passes by, birds shriek gliding above our heads. I saw how grand, the artwork of Mother Nature. Carving thousands of pockets in a massive rock. Creating a stairway using only the force of the waves and the blow of the wind. Fascinated by the sculptures, my mind kept telling me to go further up.

As I stood on a higher ground, strong breeze constantly flow coming from the sea. The ocean stretch out as far as the eyes can see. Looking at this amazing view, it made me completely calm and my mind free. What made the experience even better - we had the whole place to ourselves. A beautiful moment.

Rock formations of Biri Island in Samar, Philippines

Going to our next destination in Biri Island, our guide dropped us off in a barangay named Progress. One thing you’ll notice here is the walkway. With handrails as white as the clouds and un-even wooden planks going through the lush mangrove forest. A scenic view of green leaves, blue sky and gigantic limestone rocks from afar. It made the kilometer-long walk a breeze.

We arrived at the place they called Bel-at. A natural pool surrounded by massive limestone rocks from one side and a thriving mangrove in the south.

Curious to see the beauty of Bel-at, I rushed and looked for a vantage point. Ended up on a mushroom shaped rock.

Due to several mishaps at the start of the trip, we didn't make it to Sohoton Cave. This time, on our last day, we made sure to go there before our flight late afternoon.

Started the tour riding a motorized bangka upstream to Panhulugan Cave. With a little history lesson and a lot of humor from our guide, we explored the cavern. Been to several caves already but this is the first time I saw actual process of rocks forming - the difference is the rock is lighter in color, almost white. And sparkling when hit by light.

After the cave tour, we went further upstream the Golden River with kayaks. Gigantic limestone on both sides of the river covered in lush vegetation. Paddled our way through a tunnel until we reached Sohoton Cave and Natural Bridge. Had a blast with the crew kayaking, snapping photos or just basking in nature's splendor.

This is just a glimpse of the magical island. I hope it stays the same. Until we meet again. This is our Samar Story.

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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT SAMAR ISLAND

Samar has a tropical rainforest climate. It is humid and hot the whole year round. Expect scattered rainfall even on dry season. The best time to visit is during dry season. This is from December to May. Usually I would recommend from December to February to avoid the summer crowd. Since Samar Island is not yet a hyped tourist destination, you do not need to worry about crowded tourists spots.

WHAT ARE THE THINGS TO PACK TO SAMAR ISLAND

Comfortable clothes
Beachwear
Swimwear
Rubber shoes / Sandals / Slippers
Protection from the sun
Towel
Toiletries
Camera / Action Cam
Extra Batteries / Memory Cards
Powerbank
Tumbler
Dry bag
Snack and Drinks
Trash bag

HOW TO GET TO SAMAR ISLAND FROM MANILA

The fastest way to get to Samar Island from Manila is via a direct flight to Tacloban. Flight time is 1 hour and 25 minutes. From Tacloban Airport, I would recommend renting a car or a motorbike. This is the most efficient way of going around Samar Island.

Another option is to drive from Manila to Samar Island. This will require a RORO transfer to the island. Travel time is approximately 18 – 20 hours.

SAMAR ISLAND BUDGET AND ITINERARY

The estimated budget for a 4 days, 3 nights trip to Samar Island is PHP7,000.00. Plane Fare is not included. See breakdown below:

NOTE: Prices indicated above may change.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN VISITING SAMAR ISLAND

Food
- Try Ocho Seafood and Grill
- Expect to eat in local restaurants or carinderia once you travel out of the Cities and town proper.
Travel Time
- Manila to Tacloban is 1 hour 25 minutes via plane.
- Tacloban to Lavazares (Norther town of Samar) is around 6 hours.
Cash Basis.
ATMs are in town proper.
Signal is weak in some in the area.

SAMAR ISLAND TRAVEL TIPS

If you want to maximize your time, rent a car or motorbike. This will require a government issued ID or passport if you are not a Filipino Citizen.
You can do walk-ins but to save time, book in advance.
Schedule your trip on weekday
Best to go in dry season.
Waze is useful in going to tourist destinations within the island.
Best to have atleast 2 SIMs from different companies this way you have a backup when signal is weak.
Bring snacks and drinks. Don’t expect to see a store on remote places.
Respect the locals.
Do not leave trash behind.